


Remnants of a ghost.

by SpaceKnight



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Character Study, F/F, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Magic-Users, Mystical Creatures, Personal Growth, Romance, There is a brief moment with violence & death proceed with caution, Weiss Schnee-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:35:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25463332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceKnight/pseuds/SpaceKnight
Summary: Stop and listen, to the tale of a young girl;Ruby despite being able to see the dead has never met a /mean/ ghost in her life, enter Weiss Schnee the not so friendly ghost.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	1. Adventure!

In a lone cabin, deep within the woods, seemingly forgotten like the structures and landmarks of a time that seemed to be oh so long ago, with so many memories scattered about the sheer thought of it brings the white dragon a longing for his native holy grounds but in his human form, instead of the stream of smoke that would leave his nostrils all he can do is pull at another root as his youngest glided through air in excitement. 

“DAAAAAAD! Can you feel that!? Yang’s back! Can we go meet her pleaaaaaase? I can’t wait to show her my familiar! She so owes me a batch of homemade cookies from the village, I knew I’d win.”

“Little one, I’m sure she would love to meet Zwei but she’s just entering the mountain range. Let’s be patient and let her come on her own alright?” He tries not to let the grimace show, regret from how strained the relationship with the eldest had become, it really did feel him with sorrow, how his little yellow dragon had become so restless with anger, too much like…

“HE-LL-O? EARTH TO DAD?! We can leave the dumb root picking for later!”

His gut twists at the forlorn look, the silver eyes that stare back at him hold the same magic that captivated him when his spirit had almost been beaten and unable to properly guide the other Long. A shame he felt cutting far too deep, if it hadn’t been for a certain sorceress he truly feared how the grim corruption that had nestled itself inside of him could have expanded to the young Long. 

“You need the so call dumb root picking for your potions and I need out of the harvest batch if we want to keep up our reputation for top quality farming products. Help me pull that other patch alright? We can send your sister a flare tonight.” With a whine, he doesn’t miss the mumbles of begrudging defeat. “ I really want to know what she saw out there.” 

That part pulls at his heart-strings, it was easier to connect with the other Long, he understood her need to venture out into the world and find a name of her own, unlike Ruby who was almost the spitting image of her mother alone. 

He’d already butchered a relationship with one of his kin once, his soul ached at the thought of being stared down with the same hidden rage a certain shade of lilac had regarded him. 

“Ruby,” Surprise overtakes her, it wasn't often he’d addressed anyone by their proper name he made the exceptions for those in his family but it still wasn’t often. “why don’t you surprise your sister and meet her half-way?” She looks even more baffled, the face might be Summer but that expression was all him. 

“You’ll let me venture out alone!?” Lifting his hand, the ends of the roots tickling his nose don’t let him look very imposing. “Not alone,” As his daughter visibly deflates, he smiles, angling his head at Zwei, sleeping peacefully at the entrance of their home. “You’ll take Zwei with you AND provisions, proper ones not just grabbing your grimoire and gliding past the trees.” He feels infinitely less guilty as she perks up at the end, awakening the familiar from the peaceful slumber by throwing him up and down though he swears the canine doesn’t mind. 

“ZWEI BOY, DID YOU HEAR THAT?! WE’RE GOING ON AN ADVENTURE!” 

Taiyang can only sigh, his worry manifests at the skin of his hands making way to a light coat of scales, the nails to claws and knot of roots once in his hand squeezed till it wrinkled and shrank but it was going to be just fine, after-all he was the patron of the mountain.

* * *

Morning couldn’t come fast enough for Ruby, out of impatience she had almost induced herself to sleep with a spell after they'd sent a flare, a white blinding light that tore the night sky as a welcome home. 

It had been at least two years since their last interaction, one she really wished could have prolonged if only the reality of how slow time could go when a constant in your life was taken. 

“Make sure you don’t leave the mountain range for one second, Beacon is the last village if you reach it and can’t find your sister, wait there, ask the order of Vendadi for refuge we’ll come get you.” 

“Daaaaaaaaaad. It’ll be fine, my tracking spell won’t fail and if it does, Zwei nose sure won’t, isn’t that right boy?” Giving a squeal at the bark, the final strapping of her leather bag fully cemented that for the first time, in 16 years she was going to go on her own adventure, however short it may be.

“You’re all set, I’ll go into town two days from now and pick up some of your favorites so tell your sister to go easy on the hunting out there.” She waved him off, clutching her grimoire closer and her eyes set on the road before her. “Take care Ruby and remember if you find yourself in trouble.” 

“Keep an open mind and bring forth the bravery from my soul!” 

There were some paths within the woods, despite the wilderness with all its lush greenery and untamed beats, she felt there really was no greater sense of peace, wondering right into the unknown, with Zwei happily trotting by her side and her beloved grimoire floating in-front, creating a map from her red dot to the yellow dot right at the far end of the page. Her only concern was putting one foot in-front of the other. 

“Zwei, boy, what are you barking at silly dooooooowhoaaaaaaa, ZWEI!” One foot in front of the other had failed to account for the seemingly harmless flora, her foot had caught with something, a vine or twig it didn’t matter to the rolling sorcerer her arms outstretched to cradle both familiar and artifact, landing with a dull thud and an ache in her lower back had not been her ideal way to start an adventure. At least being licked by Zwei had cured her of the pain, standing up and brushing away some of the dirt on her clothes and hair she looked down with a giggle at her familiar. 

“What a way to start an adventure huh boy? Sorry for not listening.” He barks happily, chasing his tail in a circle before sitting down by her feet. “We better keep going if we want to make a camp before, whoa Zwei! Look at that!” 

Before them, a statue of a snowflake stood cracked at the edges, missing certain pieces and covered in mostly vines and some moss. Looking down she noticed the material of something like marble, definitely not the dirt or stone paths that she’d ever seen, the same material as the statue it seemed. Ruby didn’t know the entire mountain like her dad did but she was SURE he’d never mention something like the mansion before her. Covered in nature by the passage of time she almost jumped (if not for her the small canine sitting at the very edge of her feet). 

“Oh man this is soooo cool! Look at all the white and those pillars! I wonder why Dad never showed us this place?” At the head tilt from the furry little guy, she cracked a grin, shutting her grimoire, tucked under her arm, she’ll catch up with her sister in time and no one said anything against some personal exploration. In tune or agreement with her, Ruby honestly couldn’t tell sometimes, they both began their own little search with Zwei waddling more than walking around, pausing to sniff some of the statutes or what was left of them at least.

“Buddy you’ve been sniffing at that pair of legs for a long time now, what’s so interesting about it?” The crumbled statue was no more than a leg and half of the other, Ruby was more taken by the entrance though the door color had long since faded; she could still make some tint of blue, the same one around the windows. At the insistent barking she walked over, “Okay, okay, sheesh what’s got you so interested?” closer she could see the more subdue nameplate, covered in more vines and easily missed without the glimmer of the sun to shine on the gold encrusted letters.

_ Herrenhaus Schnee.  _


	2. Alleinsein

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of blood and small description of violence(?)

The sound of doors being thrown opened echoed all around the manor, the resignation of the only inhabitant of it almost palpable if it had been physically possible at least. Weiss however bid her time getting out of the library, the stream of scorn filled individuals looking to raid the manor had long since ceased, the explorers or whatever name the parties of individuals gave themselves had diminished considerably, maybe one or two every couple of years, lost individuals scarce but far less often than the other two. 

In time, whoever had wondered in would go, hopefully of their own free will, begrudgingly she closed her novel. The steps were wandering further in and while Weiss had not minded the theft of some invaluable pieces, there were some she certainly wouldn’t allow them to take. One of the perks of being a ghost or punishment she supposed were the vantage points, being able to seemingly transport to anywhere she wished; as long as it was confined within the structure itself at least. 

Without an ounce of care, she closed her eyes and what should have been a faint aura had almost blinded her senses, an experience she only remembered in theory. Her degree of care might have increased, passing through walls watching the back of a red cloak, staring at their family portrait, the faded colors almost as transparent as her, so fixed on it, she looked so...

* * *

So utterly naïve.

The entire night had started far too well for that to not be the biggest warning sign for Weiss. Rarely if at all did the universe give her small mercies. One moment Winter was kissing her forehead with the promise of a better future, the next she felt all warmness within her gradually seeping out. 

The thud that followed was not that much of a comfort, if at all, past the pain and the ice cold grip that seemed to want and keep her down she pushed the sensation itself till she found her way towards the main hall, for better or worse it had been too late.

On the stairs her younger brother's body laid half between the smooth surface of their marble floor and the other on the steps of the stairs, Weiss did try to touch him, shake him but at the lack of grip and worse the complete lack of response of any kind left her suspended in mid air, literally. The shadows turning at the corner broke her static stance.

Further down the steps she went, faster than her physical conduction could be capable of, beneath her everything happened in slow motion. Klein was helping Winter with her coat, behind them their parents, and behind them, cloaked individuals in black and white masks. Weiss tried to scream, tried to push them aside but as she passed through them all that she could do was to stare in horror. The gloved white hands muffling the screams, knives piercing the back of her parents, crimson overlapped through white, she reached desperately for Klein and Winter, to touch them, to warn them, anything that would make them turn and yet.

Someone else reached them first, the knives pushing past fine fabric and flesh alike, piercing without stop the initial scream of both her sister and butler had been muffled by their own choking. 

Weiss saw red, only red, unable to process, to do much but lash out in fury though she knew not what good that would do she did the only thing that could get out. She screamed and with that, the manor shook, the vases, statues and all decorations serving as projectiles, shot at the individuals at point blank. Damage done, her own sobbing sounded like a wail in the empty manor. It did not help that when she came to and the mysterious force she seemed to have had all but vanished all that surrounded her were the lifeless eyes of her family, all with the same expression, same wounds, stream of blood at the corner of their mouths, chests stained crimson, her only comfort for a long time was being around Whitely whose face was at least partially obscured within the steps. 

It took years for anyone to set foot inside but by then her family had since long been carried away by wild animals, Weiss had grasped enough control over her new abilities. Day in, day out, at first all of their possessions (ones she hadn’t accidentally destroyed or had managed to carefully put them back together) had been guarded with fervent passion, gradually with time she no longer could bring herself to care much for the vases that used to be changed every month, the paintings that were burned weekly, the gems and stones that rotated freely. 

She did notice the pattern, how people would come in with the promise of treasures beyond their dreams, so she indulged, giving minimal frights here and there when they had taken things that were no longer relevant. Occasionally escalating things she couldn’t let them get too close to their quarters. 

That would be entirely too close to the things she’d stashed in her room, Winter’s collection of hair pins, Whitley’s chess set, Klein’s favorite set of porcelain tea set, her mother’s photo album and with conflicting feelings her father's cane. 

Other rooms were always locked, some for fun and serving as dead ends to lead them down back to the main-hall and some others because dead or not she still had to maintain the Schnee pride. The picture hanging on the wall, right at the center at the main stair-case was the biggest proof of that. Looking at it even from afar, she felt like they were still there like a...

* * *

“Huh a family. Zwei, what is it boy did’ya see someone?” Weiss stared at the dog, as it tilted its head at her she saw no harm in waving back it had been too many years since she’d seen something resembling a sight for sore eyes. A puppy, one of the things she had wanted and never gotten, certainly warranted a greeting. A hug, if she could.

It barked at her, neither scared nor protective of it’s master only wagging his tail and if it wasn’t the cutest little ball of fur she’d seen. He did seem to regard it’s master, barking up at the young girl, Weiss seemingly forgetting about the blinding aura from moments ago. 

Be it as it may, the girl wouldn’t understand the adorable one and even if she did, ghosts weren’t exactly visible. The most people had seen from her was a slightly less translucent form, barely able to make the silhouette of her former body.

Floating closer, the girl still had her eyes on the barking pup. “Are you and your master lost little one? I’m Weiss Schnee, ghost of Schnee manor and if you’d like I can point you back into the main-road.” She felt a little silly, doing a courtesy towards a dog but it was fun to pretend, not like anyone would pay her any attention besides her designated audience.

“Hey Weiss! It’s very nice to meet you. I'm Ruby Rose and this little guy it’s Zwei! Say hi Zwei!” He did bark on command which would be impressive if Weiss hadn’t shot right up, floating inches above them. “Actually we were wondering if you could give us a tour? Your house is SO big and!”

Weiss stood still, the air around her dropping several degrees, mortified, embarrassed but most importantly, enraged. “ **verlassen Sie mein Haus** **!”**

Another perk of being a ghost, she couldn’t blush and for the first time in what felt like forever all her control flew out the window. Just like Ruby and Zwei were blown away by a gust of wind, all the way to the entrance, landing on a grassed area right back outside. Ruby groaned, throwing a thumbs up, yelling “I’m okay!” Zwei on top of her stomach barking twice. “Zwei is too!” 

Weiss bristled, lifting her hand and the double doors closing upon command. 

“Weiss?! WEISS!? HEY! I think your doors are stuck!” No puppy was worth putting up with whatever the realms that girl was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like, all updates, they're done because I should be doing literally anything but writing.  
> That said I hope you have a nice day and thank you for the kudos or even if you're just reading!  
> It's all fun and games after this one (: (: (:  
> *pls let me know if I messed up the German. 
> 
> verlassen Sie mein Haus!= get out of my house! formal, bc weiss.


End file.
